Shirt collar insert



Nov. 26, 1957 M. L. RUTT SHIRT COLLAR INSERT Filed March 7, 1956 MelvinL. Ruff INVENTOR.

9 BY Wm SHIRT COLLAR INSERT Melvin L. Rutt, West Hartford, Conn.

Application March 7, 1956, Serial No. 570,059

1 Claim. (Cl. 223-835) This invention generally relates to a shirtcollar insert and more specifically provides an improved and novelconstruction in that type of insert employed in laundered or new shirtswhich retains the finished collar in substantially a rigid condition toprevent the collar from becoming mashed, wrinkled and generallydisarranged which occurs when such shirts are stacked one upon another.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved and novelarrangement of shirt collar insert which includes a particular type ofcut or slot adjacent the center thereof providing a pair of prongsinsertable under that portion of the collar on the inner side thereofimmediately below the top button together with downwardly projecting andoutwardly extending pointed ends for engagement with that portion of theinside of the collar band at its juncture with the shirt therebyretaining the shirt collar in its desired position and also sustainingthe insert in position.

Other objects of the present invention will reside in its simplicity ofconstruction, ease of assembly with a shirt, adaptation for itsparticular purposes and its extremely inexpensive manufacturing cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the shirt collar insert of the presentinvention; and,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the shirt collar insert positionedwithin a collar and illustrating the position of the elements thereof.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral generallydesignates the shirt collar insert of the present invention whichincludes an elongated strip of rectangular configuration designated bythe numeral 12 which is preferably constructed of cardboard or similarmaterial.

The elongated strip 12 is provided with an undulated upper and loweredge wherein the upper edge includes a concave central portion 14 withslightly convex outer portions 16 while the lower edge is provided witha slightly convex portion 18 at the center thereof and a pair of concaveportions 20 adjacent the outer end thereof. The outer edges of the stripinsert 12 curves downwardly and outwardly as indicated by the numeral 22into a longitudinally and slightly depending pointed projection 24 whichsmoothly curves into the curved end edge 22 as atent Well as the concaveportion of the lower edge 20 thereby providing a smooth surface with thepointed projections 24 being directly opposed to each other.

At the center of the convex portion 18 of the lower edge of the strip 12is a generally Y-shaped slit or cut having a vertical portion 26terminating in a pair of outwardly and slightly upwardly inclinedportions 28 which together with the vertical portion 26 substantiallyform a V-shaped cut in the strip of cardboard 12.

When the insert 10 is employed in conjunction with a shirt collardesignated by the numeral 30, the Y-shaped cut is disposed downwardlyand at the center of the shirt adjacent the lower edge of the collar andby pushing downwardly and forwardly to conform the strip 12 to thecontour of the shirt collar 30, the portions 32 immediately adjacent thevertical cut 26 and immediately below the inclined cuts 28 will projectforwardly under the collar and engage the adjacent portion of the shirtunderneath the collar. At the same time, the projecting points 24 willengage under the collar adjacent the point of juncture between thecollar band and the shirt wherein the points will retain the strip 12 ingenerally U-shaped form against the inside surface of the front portionof the collar and the tabs 32 will prevent vertical dislodgement of theinsert 12 thereby reinforcing the collar 30 and preventing disengagementtherefrom so that the collar 30 will be retained in unwrinkled and neatcondition during shipment or storage when such shirts are normallystored or stacked one upon another.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will bereadily understood and further explanation is believed to beunnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction shown and described, andaccordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resortedto, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

An insert for shirt collars comprising an elongated strip of flexiblematerial adapted to be conformed to the inner surface of a shirt collar,the lower edge of said strip of material having a V-shaped cut thereinproviding a pair of forwardly projecting and converging tabs forinsertion underneath the collar when the insert is formed into agenerally U-shaped member, said strip of material having downwardly andlongitudinally projecting points on the lower edge thereof forpositioning under the collar at the juncture between the collar band andshirt, said strip of material being constructed of cardboard andsubstantially equal in width to the height of the collar, said striphaving an undulated upper and lower edge with the lower edge having acentral convex portion projecting forwardly when formed into a U-shapeto conform to the incline of the inner front surface of the collar, theforwardly projecting tabs having inwardly and upwardly inclined edgesforming a cam surface for supporting the bottom edge of the front of thecollar.

Milburn May 30, 1933 Chadwick Nov. 9, 1943

